Key container



Aug. 16, 1949, J. P. TARBOX 2,479,524

KEY CONTAINER Filed May 18, 1945 Patented Aug. 16, 1949 OFFICE KEY oon'rsmnn I JohnP. Tarbox, Philadelphia, rs. 7 Application May 18, 1945, Serial No. 594,421

This invention has to do with key containers ohthe type designed to give individual anchorage with!!! a casing to each of a number of keys in such manner as to render them individually usable with facility without detaching them from their anchoiage'within the casing.

Commonly experienced inconveniences and annoyances in use of key containers of this type are persistent intermixing of keys and all too frequent entangl-lng with resultant loss of'time in selecting a key and using itj a tendency to launching rendering the casings unsightly in use and uncomfortable in the pocket and reducing their durahillty'; interference of the key container with freedom of manipulation of individual keys and ireedornof the hangingof the container from the 'key in use as, for example, by ailack of complete flexibility of the link between the key and container; interference of key anchor links with the closing of the container while a given key is inuse; and too frequent dangling outof the casing of keys not in use; My invention eliminetesthese inconveniencesandannoyances.

' Ihls; elimination I achieve outstandingly through the devising of a 'radical-ly'new manner of arrangement of key a nchor, key socket and keyanehorlnglink within the casing. Within thecasin'gto one side of a key anchor with which the casing is provided,I provide a key socket which engages and holds the key in place in the casing by shank portion, such socket when the key is shoved home within it pointing the shank end of the key toward the anchor, together with a key anchorin link having "one end attached to the anchor, and its other end attachable to i a the head of a key, whichlink isof a length which when extended permits the key to'be inserted in its socket shank end toward the anchor. I- make the anchor link flexible througheat-m length and of an extended length at equal "to the distance between the anchor and the point of attachment of the link to er the key when the key is shoved home in its socket. Thus normallyihe link lies flat -ln-the casing extending generally parallel to the axis or the-key 'from anchorat the shank end flf' the key to the point of attachment at the head-of the key. Thus grasping the head -of the key, one may withdraw the key by drawing the m from "the socket; whereupon it may be used with-the casing dangling -i-reely from the link as suspended therefrom by the anchor.

, lmxtherfilembody the casingin segmental form, locateznehoring meansin the vicinity of the apex oi the segment, and' provlde within the-casing a '56 Figure '7 is 4ClalmS. (01. 150-40) plurality of key sockets arranged in a succession on the arcof a circle about the apex wherebythere may be accommodated within the segmental-casing a number of keys each separately carried in its own socket and having'its head at leastsegregated if not separated"from the heads or adjacent keys whereby each individual key may be grasped, removed from its socket and'used with out interference from the others; thus altogether preventing in termixing' orentanglement and insuring immediate identification and entire freedom of use.

l 4 Still further; I provide for the forming of the casing about a middle radius intwo halves, the one folding upon the othenand provide fastenin-g means between the peripheries of the halves whereby the casing as closed may hang suspended from the key in use by the anchor link of the key which extends from the casing through an aperture in its periphery. This affords a symmetrical arrangement in which all interferences from the casing when in use are avoided and keys not in use are retained both in their sockets and within the casing retalned in the soc'ke'ts jointly by the unextended length of the links and the closure of the casing, and within the casing by the same means f T 7 r Y The accompanying drawings show three of the best terms of myinvention, but it will be evident upona full understanding of each that it is atstumble in numerous other forms without departl'ng from its generic spirit.

Of the drawings:

Figured is'an elevation partially in perspective of 1 akey container as opened to ex-pose keys for use;

Figure 2 is a view of the same form of container closed andwith a' key in use in a lock;

Figure 3 is-a ;view of the same closed with all flat keys inside and with a single large and long key of a form other than' flat appended from a ring in -the apex of the casing;

Figure 4Lis a view of one-half of the casing of a modified form or my inventionjlike Figure 1 in open condition; r I l Fig-ureb is a-detailed cross-section of one of the socketsof this modified form;

Figure 6 is a perspective of a third form of the invention, the difference between which and the others is simply that the segment is of greater angular extent, an extent sumcient when 'folded to'give the casing substantially H extent in lieu of a substantially extent of the forms of 1 :to 4; and

an elevatiun of a single one of the anchor links which is shown to be employed in the form of Figure 1 but which may be employed in either of the other two forms.

Referring first to the form of Figures 1, 2 and 3, I is the open casing, as shown in the form of a segment almost if not quite 180 in extent. This segment I construct to be foldable in halves upon each other about a mid-radius line H. The peripheries of the halves I provide with suitable selvedgeed'gesfl 3so sewed in as to carry a Zipper fastening means I 4 having a reach from the outer end of the radius line H almost to the apex l5 4 When it is desired to release a key, one simply grasps the appropriate tongue 28 and loosens the loop about bight ll of the anchor means whereupon the main body of the link and the key may be passed through the loosened bight adjoining the tongue 28; the link 26 and its attached key may be then entirely withdrawn from connection with the anchoTmeans I! for independent use. Normally, links 26 are of a length at least substantially equal to the distance between the anchor means H and the point of attachment of 4 link 26 to the head of the key. Thus the links of the segment. At the apex l5, however, I pro- "1 vide for an opening It (When the casing is closed) through foreshortening of the selvedge 13. Through this opening the key links extend as shown in Figure 2 when a key is in use.

At or near the apex [5 within the casing are provided key anchor means IT, in this modification in the form of U-shaped wire loops the arms l8 of which are. sewn into the casing, one such link 11 being sewn intoeach half of the segment in-such position thatthe anchor means do not interfere with each other when the casing is closed. The bights of these U-shaped links I! are offset from thearms l8 and the casing walls in such manner that there is space between them and the wall of the casing to accommodate the key links which are attached to the anchor means. The ends I901" these wire loops I! are headed. beyond their sewn. in arms l8 to prevent their pulling out.

Arranged to one side of anchor means I! and on the arc of a circle about the apex l'5 of the segment are a series of key sockets 20, in the modification shown three on'each half of the casing, and constituting accommodations for six keys.

-In this modification, these are shown as formed bya band 2| of flexible material preferably of considerableradial Width which is sewn to the casing (or alternatively to a lining or baseboard thereof) along radial lines at angular intervals ofa width adapting the sockets to accommodate readily the shanks 22 of the keys 23. The

keys are shovedhome in the socketswith their shank ends 24 toward the anchoring means I! and the apex IS. The angular spacing of the sockets 20 :is preferably such'that the head '25 of each keyis segregated or separated from each of theothers whereby it may be most readily singled out by the eye of the observer, grasped by the thumb and forefinger, and certainly and promptly withdrawn from its socket for use. Promptness and certainty of identification with minimum loss of time is thus assured, the more especially since there is an individual pocket for each key. H

Each key 23 is independently secured to anchoring means I! by means of an anchoring link 26-, in this modification in the form of a closed loop of elastic material such as a rubber band of the form shown in detail .in Figure 7. The closed loop link is applied fiqt to the key by threading a bight of the loop through the usual hole in the head of the key and then passing the body of the loopthrough the bight in the known fashion of loop securement. Then the opposite bight is threaded under the bight of the anchor means I! and both key and main body of the link passed through this opposite bight of the link, whereupon it becomes loop secured to the anchor means l1. -At-this end of the link 26 there'is provided preferably in extension of the main body a manipulating tongue 28 to facilitate release from the anchor means I! (note in Figures 1 and ,7).

- sockets 20.

he substantially flatly within the casing and along the key axes and preferably under slight tension,

so that they tend to retain the keys within their ,To use a key, one opens the casing and simply thumb and forefinger and withdraws the key axially of its socket 20 (the elasticity of the rubher. band links '26 permitting this to be readily done) and thereupon closes the opened casing by drawing the Zipper member 29 about the periphery until it reaches the opening l6 through which a link 25 of the key 23 to be used will have been projected. Key 23 may then be inserted into a look as shown in Figure 2 and freely manipulated. The key container may hang freely therefrom by its apex I5. The use of the key having been completed, the key maybe restored to its assigned socket ZIJ simply by opening the container, slightly stretching the link 26, inserting the shank 22 in the socket 20, and shoving it home, whereupon the container may be again closed. v

Niceness of socketing, efficiency of operation and facility of removal and replacement are enhanced by having the band 2! which forms the socket 20 of an extreme radius which meets the enlarged heads of the keys 23 in such manner as torestrain them from entering the mouths of the pockets to any considerable degree, and by having the body of the casing ll] relatively flexible; whereby on the one hand the heads of the keys are forced to remain outside of sockets 20 where they may be readily seen and grasped, and on theother hand casing H) can be readily deflected laterally at the radius of the keys by the forefinger or thumb in grasping them. The positioning of the keys with their heads freely accessible can be further assured by regulating the widths of pockets 20 between the radial sewings to ace commodate not substantially more than the width of the key shank itself, thus refusing the width of the head. r v r In .the form of Figures '4 and 5, the general arrangement of easing, anchor means, keysockets and key anchor links is the same, but the construction of the sockets and anchorlinks is dif ferent. The sockets in this case designated 30, are in form hook-shaped springclips riveted at 3f to the casing I0, backing or otherpartthereof. These hook-shaped spring clips are arranged with their main bodies extending arcuately aboutthe apex l 5 and the anchor means l1, and are adapted to hook over the shanks of the keys transversely thereto and tohold the shanks in their embrace the heads 23 of the keys by means of snap rings 36 of the type commonly used in the art of jewelry. The lengths of these chain anchor links are like the lengths of the elastic rubber loop links substantially equal to the distance between the anchor means H and the point of attachment to the head of the key. The dimensions and locations of the sockets are such that the heads 23 are retained at a radial distance from the anchor means [1 which keeps the anchor links 35 substantially fully extended. Thus they prevent the keys from dislodgement through movement axially of the sockets, while the sockets 3!] prevent lateral movement.

In use, one simply LfOIClblY moves the desired key in its socket in the direction of the mouth of the hook until the key is disengaged lflm the hook whereupon it may be manipulated as in the form of Figure 1.

In connection with either of these forms of my invention, there may he used a large snap ring 31 passed through a small preferably eyeleted hole 38 at the apex of the casing to reimovably re-- ceive and retain all such keys 39 as by reason of their great size and lack of flatness are not receivable within the casing itself. Too, this snap ring may be used for the attachment of a key chain if one uses such chains.

The form of Figure 6 differs simply in the matter of size and is included to show the great adaptability of the invention. It is practically twice the size of the containers shown on the much larger scales of Figures 1 to 5, the segmental casing of which it is comprised being, when open, almost if not quite the extent of a full circle 360, and when closed, forming a closed container of a segmental shape almost if not quite 180.

By reason of the many modifications of which my invention is obviously susceptible without departing from its generic spirit, the invention in its generic spirit should be protected to me by the annexed claims entirely independently of the circumstantial terminology which my present short-time acquaintance with the invention imposes upon me.

What I claim is:

1. In a key container, a containing casing, provided with a key anchor, a key socket member enclosed by the casing and located to one side of said anchor, which socket member engages and holds the key in place in the casing by its shank portion and when the key is shoved home within the socket member points the shank end of the key toward the anchor, and a key anchor link having its one end attached to the anchor and its other end attachable to the head of a key, which link is of a length which when extended permits the key to be inserted in its socket member shank end toward the anchor, and which 6 anchor link when the key is socketed within the enclosing casing lies within the casing but without the socket, and when the key is outside of the casing emanates from the casing at its shank end, with its main body free of both the socket member and the casing.

2. A key container according to claim 1 in which the key anchor link is in the form of a closed loop which is connected with the attaching portions of the key and anchor respectively by passing the body of the loop therearound and then threading the body through a bight of the loop, and one at least of the loop bights is provided with a manipulating tongue constituting an excrescence from the body of the loop and is of a size and form enabling it to be firmly grasped by ones fingers and pulled to loosen the bight.

3. A key container according to claim 1 in which the socket is in the form of a spring clip, the body of which extends transversely of the key when it is disposed within the socket and which receives the key by insertion of the shank laterally under one end of the clip, and the anchor link is of fixed length.

4. A key container having a casing comprised of two segmental halves connected together alon the radius and folda'ble thereabout one upon the other to close the casing, key anchor means located in the vicinity of the apex of the segment which apex is apertured, a plurality of key sockets arranged radially of the apertured apex on an arc of a circle about the apex, a corresponding plurality of anchor links connected at one end with the anchor means, and. means for ifastening together the peripheral portions of the segment halves when they are closed together save for the apex aperture, whereby the anchor links may commonly pass through said aperture when the associated keys are in use and the container is closed and the segment halves fastened together.

JOHN P. TARBOX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,621,831 Colvin Mar. 22, 1927 1,877,912 LEnfant Sept. 20, 1932 2,066,526 Gladstone Jan. 5, 1937 2,203,830 Leue June 11, 1940 2,228,726 Loesch June 14, 1941 2,389,426 Gefi-ner Nov. 20, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,310 Great Britain 1912 

